Just a few thoughts...

I also have a high mileage drive shaft with vibrations in a couple of RPM
ranges.  I pulled mine out, several times, attempting to correct the
problem.

I had new u-joints installed (a mistake; I would have preferred to install
them myself - and I think the shop boogered the journals in one of the ends)

So I thought I would have the shaft spin balanced, which would either
confirm above mentioned boogering, or show some other difficulty (i.e.,
bent, out of balance, out of phase with our time-space, etc.)

And no one has the fixtures to spin the VW shaft.  Facing $695-1295 for
rebuilt/new drive shaft...I had one fabricated.

The new shaft has more common OTS parts, with greasable joints and a slider
to adjust geometry as the different parts of the van flex.  It cost me less
then $350.  It works great.

Although you might try having a local drive line shop "rebuild" the shaft,
all that means is installing new u-joints.  The rubber flex collar will
remain, and if that is the source of your vibration, you are stuck with it
until you replace the shaft; the rubber collar is not serviced as its own
part.  Try to find a shop that will spin balance/straiten etc the rebuilt
unit when they are done; might save you the trouble of installing the newer
unit only to have to pull it again.

And now with about 500 miles city and highway driving, all appears to be
well.  The new shaft is not quite as smooth as the OEM shaft, given the
absence of the rubber collar, but is smooth in operation throughout the RPM
band.  So far, I am happy...

Roger Bowman - bowmanrp@ earthlink.net
Live Smart.  Think for Yourself.  Transform the Future

----------
>From: "Mark McCulley" <transporter99@hotmail.com>
>To: syncro@onelist.com, vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>Subject: [Syncro] syncro driveline rebuilders in Seattle area
>Date: Sat, Sep 18, 1999, 5:51 PM
>

> From: "Mark McCulley" <transporter99@hotmail.com>
>
> I pulled my driveshaft today--was experiencing vibrations at a couple of RPM
> ranges for the last 6 months or so. Now I need to decide whether to get a
> remanufactured unit from a VW dealer ($600+) or try to have it rebuilt
> locally.
>